Taylor Elizabeth Hawks

Taylor Elizabeth Hawks, 27, died on September 21, 2026, at home after fourteen years of multiple illnesses including Lyme Disease, HSV-1 Encephalitis, Autoimmune Encephalitis, and POTS Disease

Taylor, the only child of Christy and Bill Hawks, was born on December 31, 1998, in Jackson, Mississippi. She began her education at her parent’s daycare center, Circle of Friends Learning Center, and she and her parents were avid travelers, visiting 32 countries before she was 19 years old. She attended Jackson Academy and graduated with honors and The Outstanding Community Service Award from Jackson Preparatory School in 2017. Taylor then attended The University of Alabama on a Presidential Scholarship until she returned home due to her illness.

As her illness progressed, Taylor became disabled, but her disabilities did not stop her resolve to make a difference for people and animals in her world or for sharing her love with everyone she met and on a large Instagram following as she displayed her amazing photography of birds and animals in nature.

Taylor created an extensive preschool curriculum, including learning materials and art projects, for many children at Circle of Friends Learning Center. She loved children’s books and had over 1,000 in her personal collection that she thoughtfully selected for each theme of the curriculum that she created. She began birding in her own backyard and continued exploring on her mobility scooter with her camera throughout her neighborhood, enjoying every living creature she met. Her passion carried her to birding sights throughout the USA. As she was a committed vegan, she even prepared pancakes and vegan food for raccoon friends who all had names, ate from her hands, and enjoyed her attention and petting.

Being aware of the world and with so much love and compassion for children in other countries,

Taylor began preparing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. She created and collected materials to pack over 55 boxes each year.

Many people, children, and animals will miss Taylor’s love and compassion, her vision of the world, and her desires and contributions to make the world a better place.

Taylor is survived by her parents Christy Street Hawks and William Noble Hawks, her maternal grandmother “Mimi” Lynda Lewis Street who was her best friend, her paternal grandfather David John Koenig, her uncle Scott Lewis Street (Sheri), great aunts, her great uncle, and many cousins. She is also survived by her constant companions and emotional support cats Kai and Chloë.

Taylor is preceded in death by her paternal grandmother LaQuita Rose Koenig “Granny” and maternal grandfather James Watkins Street “Podna.”

Taylor’s celebration of life will be Sunday, September 27,2026, at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home, 114 Burney Drive in Flowood. Visitation will be at 2:00 p.m. and the service will be in the Wright and Ferguson Chapel at 3:00 with Father Joe Tonos officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to one of Taylor’s favorite organizations, birdability.org. or to lymedisease.org.